Pyrimidine compounds



Patented Dec. 14, 1943 comormns Robert R. Williams, Summit, N. 1., and Joseph K. Cline, Galveston, Tex, assignors to Research Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of x New York- No Drawing. Original application December 24, 1937, Serial No. 181,710, which is a division of application Serial No. 134,334, April 1, 1937. Divided and this application July'9, 1942, Serial 15 Claims. (01. 260-251) This invention relates to pyrimidine compounds useful for the production of antineuritic compounds "and, particularly, to the synthesis of pyrimidine compounds and various other intermediates which are useful for the production of vitamin B1, salts thereof, and related products having the essential physiological properties'of vitamin B1. This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 181,710, filed,

December 24, 1937, as a division of our copending application Serial No. 134,334, filed April 1, 1937.

The presentinvention relates to methods by which vitamin B1 and kindred compounds may be synthesized. These syntheses make available vital substances which may be incorporated in pharmaceutical products and in foods deficient in vitamin B1.

The object of the invention is to provide pyrimidine compounds useful in the synthesis of vitamin B1 and its salts.

Vitamin B1 is obtained from natural sources in the form of its acid salts, usually as the chloride hydrochloride. These salts have the followin general structure: 1

CH] N=C--NH1.HX1 E=CCH1CH1OH CHI- CHas lasin which X is an anion and HX is an acid, the anion portion of which may or may not be the same as the one represented by X.

The syntheses embodying this invention comprise the coupling of two distinct radicals or groups to form the vitamin or other closely allied substances. One of these groups is a derivative of pyrimidine having the constitution indicated by the following formula:

Y of antineuritic substances.

nucleus havingthe structure indicated From an examination of the formula given hereinabove for the acid salts of vitamin B1, it is evident that the thiazole nucleus contained in the natural vitamin has attached thereto a hydrogen atom in the.2 position, a methyl group in the 4 position and a ,B-hydroxy-ethyl group in the 5 position. The basic compound having these attached groups is described in Patent No. 2,134,015 granted October 25, 1938, to R. R. Williams for Thiazole compounds. Acids add directly to this thiazole to form salts thereof and these salts may be used in the syntheses instead of the base, if desired.

The present invention pertains to the production of pyrimethyl esters and acid salts thereof which are especially suitable for the preparation It has been found that effective results may be obtained by first producing a mixed ether such, for example, as 2 -methyl-6-amino-pyrimethyl-ethy1 ether or 2- methyl-6-amino-pyrimethyl-methyl-ether and to obtain acid esters therefrom having the formula:

in which X is an acid radical in non-ionic combination and HX is an acid, the anion portion of which may or may not be the same as the acid radical or element represented by X.

Among the pyrimethyl esters which may be employed in practicing the invention, the halide esters and acid salts thereof, particularly the halogen acid salts, are especially effective. To illustrate the invention, specific examples will be given of particular pyrimethyl halide esters and acid salts thereof embodying the invention.

Such compounds may be made in accordance with the processes described in detail in the aforesaid application Serial No. 191,710, of which this application is a division. These processes involve a series of preliminary steps by which there is prepared a compound having the general formula:

wherein R and R are respectively alkyl or andkyl radicals (methyl, ethyl; propyl. benzyl, etc). By replacing the 6-oxy radical of this compound with a 6-amino radical and the OR group with an acid radical, e. g. bromine, a compound is produced which is capable of coupling with a thiazole nucleus as above set forth.

' ll isulp ate The ammonium bisulphate is filtered off, washed One compound falling within the general forimportance is the one designated 2-methyl-6- oxy-pyrimethyl-ethyl ether. A-description of the process for making 2-methyl-6-oxy-pyrimethylethyl ether will first be given and this will be' followed by specific examples of processes embodying the invention in which various pyrimethyl esters embodying the invention are obtained from this compound.

Example I 1. p-Ethoxy-propionic-ethyl ester 2. Sodio-formyl-p-ethoxy-propionic-ethyl ester 3. 2-methyl-6-oxy-pyrimethyl-ethyl ether 4. 2-methyl-6-chlor-pyrimethyl-ethyl ether 5. 2-methyl-6-amino-pyrimethyl-ethyl ether 6. 2-methyl-6-amino-pyrimethyl-bromide- I mula outlined above and which is of particular trile is heated, under refluxing. for about six hours. At the endpf this time, the mixture is cooled and allowed to stand until all the ammo- 'produced' has crystallized out.

several times with absolute alcohol, and the conibined filtrate and washings are distilled to remov'e the major portion of alcohol." Ice water is added to the residue, the excess acid neutralized, and the solution finally made slightly basic by then-addition of sodium carbonate. The

' lution fractionated by distillation.

The sequence andsigniflcance of these steps Q may be made more apparent by writing th tr tural formulae of the compounds as follows:

ooocmom Hr HiO OHiGHa p-Ethoxy-propionicethyl ester 0 O 0 OHiGHa -CHaO CHaCHt H ONa Sodio-iormyi-p-ethoxy-propionlccthyl ester N=CCl CHre-CHIOCHICHI I 2-methyi-6-chlor-pyrimethyl-othyl ether N=CNH| CHI-(B -CH3OCH|CHI z-methyl-d-amino-pyrimathyl-ethyl ether Mn; 2-methyl-fi-aminopyrimethyl-bromide-hydrobromide The steps in the following detailed disclosure correspond to the numbers in the above schedule.

Step 1.A mixture of 116 gms. of sulphuric acid (sp. g. 1.84), 18 gms. of water, 200 cc. absolute alcohol, and 99 gm. of p-ethoxy-propionimixture is then extracted with ether, the ethereal solution dried over sodium sulphate, and the sop-ethoxypropionic-ethyl ester is obtained in the form of a pleasant smelling, water-white liquid having a boiling point of about IO-72 at 24 mm. pressure. In this reacti'onsompounds having alkyl radicals (and aralkyl radicals) other than the ethyl radical can be substituted.

Step'2.-A mixture of 75 gins. of p-ethoxy propionic-ethyl ester and about 40 gms. of ethyl formate is slowly dropped onto 12 gms. of sodium wire covered with anhydrous ether. Hydrogen is evolved, and a yellow salt precipitates out of the ether. If the reactions proceed slowly, without causing ebullition of the ether the amount of sodium specified is sufficient. However, if the reaction proceeds violently, increasing amounts -CH|QB1 H o M wherein R and R are alkyl or aralkyl radicals and M is an alkali metal, may be produced from appropriate reagents, if desired, by a similar method and used in the succeeding step.

Step 3.-To the ether suspension of the sodioformyl derivative obtained in Step 2, gms. of

acetamidine hydrochloride, cc. of absolute alcohol, and a solution of 12 gms. of sodium in 200 cc. of absolute alcohol are added. The ether is distilled off, and the mixture heated, under refluxing, for about sixteen hours. The contents of the flask are then cooled, neutralized with 10% acetic acid, and evaporated down on a steam bath. The residue is taken up in a small amount of water and extracted repeatedly with chloroform. The combined chloroform extracts are dried with sodium sulphate and the chloroform removed by evaporation. The remaining brown, gummy substance is treated with dioxane, after which a portion dissolves and a considerable quantity of the gum is solidified. The solid is dried and sublimed in high vacuo at C. The sublimate is placed in a Soxhlet extractor and extracted repeatedly with anhydrous ether. The residue is dried and again sublimed in high vacuo, yielding substantially pure 2 methyl 6 oxy-pyrimethyl-ethyl ether having a melting point of about to 176 C. 1

Instead of proceeding as above set forth the following preferred method of carrying out step 3 may be employed:

To the reaction mixture obtained in Step 2,

crushed ice and water, just suflicient to produce stant weight. For purification it can be crystallized from amyl ether.

Instead of the specific compound produced as above described, compounds having the general formula:

N=COH m- ([5-CHIORI ltd-H may be produced, wherein R and R are alkyl or aralkyl groups, by condensing compounds having the general formula indicated at the end of Step 2 with homologues of acetamidine, e. g. propamidine, butamidine, etc. Step 4.ne gm. of 2-methyl-6-oxy-pyrimethyl-ethyl-ether is heated with 8 cc. of phosphorous oxychloride for about three hours at 78 C. The phosphorous oxychloride is then removed in vacuo. The residue is poured onto ice and excess acid is neutralized by the addition of sodium bicarbonate or ammonia and the mixture extracted repeatedly with chloroform. The combined chloroform extracts are dried. over sodium sulphate and the chloroform removed in vacuo. Approximately 1 gm. of an oily residue remains consisting largely of 2 methyl- 6 chlor-pyrimethyl-ethyl ether.

By employing compounds having the general formula wherein R and R. are alkyl or aralkyl radicals, compounds having the general formula are obtained.

Instead of the fi-chlor-pyrimethyl compounds just described, the corresponding 6-brom and 6-iodo compounds, which may be made in an analogous manner, may also be used if desired.

Step 5.-The product of Step 4 is treated with about 5 to cc. of alcoholic ammonia in a bomb tube at about 140 C. for a period of time sunlcient to convert all bromine into ionic form e. g. three hours. The contents of the tube are then evaporated down leaving a partly crystalline residue. This residue is dissolved in water, sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate is added and the solution extracted repeatedly with chloroform. The combined chloroform extracts are dried over sodium sulphate and the chloroform removed in vacuo, leaving an oily residue which crystallizes on standing and cooling. The crude product may be recrystallized from ether or ligroin, and pure 2-methyl-6-amino-pyrimethylethyl ether, having a melting point of 89.5 to 90.5 C. is obtained. If desired, the crude product may be purified by repeatedly subliming it in high vacuo at 60 to 80 C.

. By employing compounds having the general formula N=OCl R -omon compounds having the formula N=C-NHg Ii -4) -omom may be obtained, wherein R and R are alkyl or aralkyl radicals.

Step 6.The 2-methyl-6-amino-pyrimethylethyl ether produced in accordance with the process outlined in Step 5 may be treated in various ways to produce a hydrobromide of 2- methyl-G-amino-pyrimethyl-bromide hydrobromide. In one process mgms. of 2-methyl-8- amino-pyrimethyl-ethyl ether are heated with 2 cc. of hydrobromic acid in a bomb tube for about two and one-half hours at C. The contents of the tube are then removed, and concentrated in vacuo.

When the solution reaches small volume, crystals will separate. One cc. of cold water is added and sodium bicarbonate is added to the clear solution. When the solution is neutral, a precipitate is formed. This precipitate is extracted with chloroform, the chloroform solution dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and the chloroform finally removed in vacuo. The yield consists of about 20 mgms. of crystals which give a strongly positive test for bromine. At this stage, the crystals, consisting" largely of 2-methyl-6-aminopyrimethyl-bromide, are more or less contaminated ith 2-methyl-fi-oxy-pyrimethyl-bromide which may be removed as desired by extraction of the chloroform solution with dilute alkali.

About 20 mgms. of 2-methyl-6-amino-pyrimethyl-bromide are dissolved in 2 cc. of absolute alcohol and alcoholic hydrobromic acid is added whereupon a precipitate is formed. The alcohol and excess hydrobromic acid are removed in vacuo,leaving an acid ester which is a 2-methy1- B-amino-pyrimethyl-bromide hydrobromide.

Example [I In this example, the procedure outlined in Steps 1 to 5, inclusive, of Example I are followed to produce 2-methyl-fi-amino-pyrimethyl-ethyl ether. This is then converted into a bromide hydrobromide as follows:

gms. of Z-methyI-G-amino-pyrimethylethyl ether are heated with 7.75 liters of a 10% solution of hydrobromic acid in glacial acetic acid for two hours at 100 C. (This is a ratio of slightly more than 3 mole hydrobromic acid to one mole of the ether.) At the end of this time, the liquid remaining is decanted from the crystals which separate out. The crystals are washed several times with anhydrous ether and then may be purified by dissolving in a small amount of methanol and reprecipitating by the addition of the ether. The pure compound thus obtained melts at 192-193 C. and is a hydrobromide of 2- methyl-G-amino-pyrimethyl-bromide. The pure compound is not as stable as the crude product containing small amounts of free hydrobromic The bromide hydrobromide produced in ac- 4. Pyrimidine compounds of the cordance with the preceding step may be coupled with an appropriate thiazole to produce an antineuritic substance in accordance with the methods described in the aforementioned application Serial No. 134,334. Y

By methods analogous to the ,toregoing ones, the other corresponding pyrimethyl halide ester may be prepared. Such esters may also be produced by reacting the aforementioned bromide ester with a silver salt of one or the other halogen acids. e. g. silver chloride. While the invention contemplates the production and use of the iodide asaaeac ester, the bromide and chloride esters are pre- 7 ierred' because they are muchmore active.

Although in all of the examplesrecited hereinabove, the pyrimethyl group has a methyl group located in the 2 position, the invention is not limited to these particular derivatives. For example, the methyl group in the 2 position of the pyrimethyl radical may be replaced by the homologues thereof, such as the ethyl and propyl groups. Also instead of the methylene group in position 5, other alkylene groups, such as the ethylene group, may be substituted. Where alkyl groups are described as substituents in the various compounds mentioned, herein, aralkyl groups may in general be used with satisfactory results. Hence, when the term alkyl is used herein and in the annexed clalmayit is also intended to embrace the aralkyl groups.

What is claimed is:-' 1. Pyrimidine compounds of the formula V eneral N =C-NH|.HX alkyl-( (l-alkylene-halogen in which X is an acid radical.

2. Pyrimidine compounds of the' formula general N=o-NH,.-nx lower alkyl-JJ OlI,halogen x in which X is an acid radical.

3. Pyrimidine compounds of the formula general 'N=oNH,.nx

CHr CH:-halogan in which X is an acid radical.

formula N=C-NH|.HX alkyl-Jl alkyle ne-halogen 1 -H in which X is a halogen.

5. Pyrimidine I compounds of th general formula in which X is a halogen.

general 1 6. Pyrimidine compounds of the general formula N=O-NH|.HX Oils-6 OH:-halogen in which X is a halogen.

v. Pyrimidine compounds of the formula in which X is an acid radical.

8. The pyrimidine compound having the formula N=oNH,.HBr

11. Pyrimldine compounds of the general formula:

. N=CNHz.Br loweralkyi-i CHrBr CH 12. Pyrimidine 'compounds of the general formula:

N=oNm.Ho1 loweifialkyl-t i GH:C1 V iii-H 13. Pyrimidine compounds oi! the general formula:

in which x and X are the same and are one of the halogens bromine, chlorine and iodine.

14. Pyrimidine compounds of the general formula:

N=CNH1.HI lower alkyl- JJ-OHJ 15. The compound having the formula:

N=CNH:.HI

CHa- 0H|I itn ROBERT a. WILLIAMS JOSEPH K. CLINE.

General 

